Roundwood/Sawnwood

• Baltic shippers aiming to raise sawnwood prices significantly in second quarter too
• Felling in Czech Republic increased 3 % in 2020
• Further growth registered in sawlog prices in Estonia
• 39 % growth registered in Russian exports to Europe
• Deterrent quotes received by Italian wood buyers
• Normal cutting activity slowly being resumed in Austria
• Forest business units use heavy demand for firewood
• Beech roundwood exports rise significantly

Wood products

• Continued price increases for softwood lumber, gluelam, FJC
• Germany: ratio of prefabricated construction rises to 22%
• Timber construction turnover exceeds 2019 figure by 41.9%
• US pellet production in 2020 down on preceding year

Wood-based panels

• Buying of many upstream products is primarily based on availability
• Increasing growth in timber industry’s sales from June
• European associations launch Wood4Bauhaus alliance
• A few importers cut back elliotis pine plywood sales
• Half of duty-free quota used up by mid-March
• Plywood bulk carrier expected in Bremerhaven by Easter
• Chinese plywood manufacturers once again adjust prices on FOB basis slightly upwards
• Supply of plywood from Indonesia still difficult
• Cornerstone doubles demands for melamine
• PMDI adhesive prices headed back towards 2017‘s level
• Higher urea, methanol and melamine costs boost adhesive and impregnating resin prices
• Methanol prices look set to increase again

Furniture

• France: furniture trade turnover down 4.8%
• Some neighbouring countries back in hard lockdown
• Kitchen furniture industry with slight turnover rise in January
• Lockdown in Germany extended until 18 April

Construction

• Fewer building approvals in December
• US housing starts also decrease in February

Companies

• Donausäge Rumplmayr completes conversion work
• James Jones & Sons takes over GT Timber
• Westervelt sawmill up and running in Thomasville
• Blumer Lehmann receives large order from Saudi Arabia
• HS Timber begins construction of gluelam plant
• Vecoplan surpasses results forecast for 2020
• Deceuninck only unable to offset losses in Europe
• Maisons du Monde aims to increase turnover in 2021
• Narbutas invests €25m in production expansion
• Green River seeks partner for furniture factory
• IMA Schelling supplies batch-size-1 line to Sedus Stoll
• Further growth in Biesse’s backlog of orders in Q4
• Neodecortech held up better than expected
• Glatfelter raises overlay paper revenues again
• Mieco’s revenue from export sales almost halved in 2020
• Trex forced to limit output in Winchester after a fire